Letter: Let's call a spade a spade

In the March 2 Enterprise, a reader said we should continue the big government debate and that adjustments are needed in the nation's labor laws.

The problem with that statement is whatever the union folks have negotiated in a contract controls. That means the contract is ruling. It is then law. The question should become, 'who was the other party that wrote the contract with the union?' If it was a school board member, or legislator, or commissioner, they should be taken to task, renegotiate the contract at the next opportunity. So don't blame the union - they're only going after what they deem appropriate. You'd do the same in their shoes!

That author also stated that "government should have an extremely limited role when it comes to mandating who will enter into a contract with whom and the terms thereof." That author wants to take away a 1917 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling and a 2007 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that gives the right to bargain collectively for all public and private employees and that such isn't subject to be controlled by public authority.

If that happened, we'd be violating the 5th and 14th amendments, which guard against depriving us of liberty and property. We'd also lose our right of "due process" under the 14th and 16th amendments. Folks way back fought hard and died for these rights, going back to the Magna Carta, which were appropriated from the King. And, these same rights were then transferred to our Bill of Rights in our U.S. Constitution. These are sacred rights. The very basis of our Country. Without them we be the same as living in Libya.

The author also said that he could accept "arbitration" if the arbitrators wouldn't favor unions over employers. His argument however, wouldn't stand a test of journalism. The fact is that arbitration is cheaper than going to court. The fact is that if a good case is presented and the arbitrator cannot get around the argument, you can win. The problem is that employers don't know how to present their argument.

Come on, let's get on the stick. Go after the person who negotiated that contract with the union, not the union. Let's call a spade a spade.